Few desserts feel as timeless and indulgent as a Chocolate Éclair. With its crisp, golden pastry, silky vanilla pastry cream, and glossy chocolate glaze, this French-inspired treat is an indulgence we typically save for special occasions. And why is that exactly? Because we often think that it is a recipe that can only be tackled by trained pastry chefs. However, by starting with a Butter Braid® Chocolate Pastry, you can skip the most complicated steps and turn this special-occasion dessert into a family staple.
Materials Needed
- Saucepan
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Plastic wrap
- Pizza cutter or sharp knife.
- Baking sheet
- Heatproof bowl
- Piping tip
- Piping bag
- Wire rack
How to Store Your Chocolate Eclairs
We recommend enjoying these eclairs the same day you make them as that is when the pastry texture is freshest and crisp. If you have leftovers, the Chocolate Eclairs should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-3 days. You can serve them chilled or let them sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.
Tips for Making Chocolate Eclairs
- To get beautifully glazed chocolate eclairs, it is best to dip them in the chocolate glaze rather than pouring the glaze over the eclairs.
- It is very important you let the chocolate glaze cool before you begin to dip your eclairs. Otherwise, the glaze will run down the sides when you turn them upright.
- Eclairs are super versatile, so you can fill them with an endless variety of delicious fillings. In this recipe, we go with the classic vanilla cream. But you could also do a chocolate cream, mascarpone cream, fruit cream, etc.
Chocolate Eclairs
Course: DessertCuisine: FrenchDifficulty: Moderate6
servings300
kcal12
Ingredients
- Éclair:
1 Butter Braid® Chocolate Pastry
1 egg, whisked
- Vanilla Pastry Cream:
2 c. whole milk
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped or 2 tsp. vanilla extract
6 large egg yolks
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- Chocolate Glaze:
8 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
3/4 c. heavy cream
2 tbsp. light corn syrup
1 tbsp. black cocoa powder
Directions
- Make the Vanilla Pastry Cream
- In a saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla until steaming – do not boil. Remove from heat.
- In a bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until thick and pale.
- Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
- Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking nonstop, until thick and bubbling, about 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat, whisk in the butter, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Press plastic wrap onto the surface and refrigerate 2-3 hours until fully chilled.
- Prepare the Pastry
- Remove the pastry from the packaging and set it out to thaw for 2 hours. Once it has thawed enough to become pliable, gently deconstruct and remove the chocolate filling.
- Pre-heat the oven to 325°F.
- Cut the thawed pastry dough into 10 pieces using a pizza cutter or sharp knife and roll into a loaf-like shape.
- Place on a greased baking sheet and brush egg wash over each piece of dough.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Let cool completely on a wire rack.
- After they have cooled, cut each pastry in half so it resembles a sandwich
- Make the Chocolate Ganache
- Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
- Heat cream until it is just simmering then pour over the chocolate.
- Let sit for 2 minutes then whisk until smooth.
- Stir in corn syrup and black cocoa powder.
- Let cool for 10 minutes until slightly thickened but still glossy.
- Dip half of the éclair pieces into the ganache to cover the tops.
- Assemble the Eclairs
- Fill a piping bag with chilled pastry cream and pipe the cream onto the éclair pieces without the chocolate ganache.
- Place the pieces with the chocolate ganache on top of the eclairs with the filling.
- Place your finished eclairs on a wire rack and refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.
Tips for Making Christmas Tree Pastries
- To get beautifully glazed chocolate eclairs, it is best to dip them in the chocolate glaze rather than pouring the glaze over the eclairs.
- It is very important you let the chocolate glaze cool before you begin to dip your eclairs. Otherwise, the glaze will run down the sides when you turn them upright.
- Eclairs are super versatile, so you can fill them with an endless variety of delicious fillings. In this recipe, we go with the classic vanilla cream. But you could also do a chocolate cream, mascarpone cream, fruit cream, etc.
- Storage Information: Chocolate Eclairs should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-3 days. You can serve them chilled or let them sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.
